Resilient wheel



Jan. 4,1927. V. ,H CASEY RESILIENT WHEEL Filed 0G13. 25. 1923 f liwenZ-ozf SI1-f. Ccm/seg 3 Mu-@MA-bbys.

Patented `lan. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES A 1,513,418@ PATENT oFFlcs.

VERE HERBERT CASEY, OF RICHMOND, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Application filed ctober 23, 1923. Serial No. 670,367, and in Great Britain November 28, 1922.

This invention refers to resilient wheels in which radially disposed pistons are employed to confine air under pressure to produce a cushioning effect on the tread and ensure sufficient resiliency in the wheel. Many devices of the kind have been designed but so far they have not come into general use owing to ineciency, constructional difliculties and cost of manufacture. According to one known form radially disposed cylinders rigidly connected to each other are provided on a fio-ating ring around the hub and spaced therefrom and provided with two pistons one being within the other and the connected devices are retained by side discs with scolloped shoulders bearing on shoulders on the outer piston while the inner piston engages scollops on the interior periphery of the tread.

According to this invention however' each device is separate and the cylinder has shoulders bearing against shoulders on discs fixed to the hub and is unattached and divided transversely by a partition with a piston projecting from each end, the inner one being seated' on the hub and air is first conil pressed between the pistons and released under undue pressure through theinner piston. The advantage of this construction therefore is that the cushioning devices are neutral above the axle of the wheel and only function when underneath said aXle.

Furthermore the advantages of this invention are cheapness of manufact-ure, simplicity of construction and facilities for attachment or detachment of any of the cushioning devices.

.ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel with one side disc removed and one cushioning device in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on line Il of Figure 1 with spring around cylinder omitted.

Figure 3 is a half elevation, similar to Figure 1 illustrating a modification.

Figure 4 is a section on line IV of Figure 3, the valves being shown diagrammatically,

and

Figure 5 an enlarged section on line V thereof.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the tread illustrating a reinforcement thereof.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail illustrating a modification of the discs.

According to the"v form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 the wheel comprises two discs 1, 2 enclosing air cushioning` devices of the piston type and fitted with the tread 3. The discs are fixed on the hub 4l of the axle and bolted by bolts 5to each other with a space G between and formed near their outer edges with scolloped shoulders 7.

In the channel S formed between the outer edges of the discs the tread 3 is retained and said tread is formed on its inner circumference with scollops or recesses 9 at regular intervals.

Flach air cushioning device consists of a cylinder 10 divided transversely by a partition 11 provided with a retention delivery valve 12 and in the respective ends of the cylinder are hollow pistons 13, 14: both of which project out of said cylinder. The outer end 15 of piston 13 is curved and enlarged to form a head and formed with an air inlet 1G while its inner end is provided with a suction valve 17 and the piston 14 is formed at its inner end with -a solid head 18, an air outlet 19 and a relief valve 2O at its outer end.

The outer end of the cylinder 10 is formed with curved shoulders 21 which engage with the shoulders 7 vof the discs 1, 2.

When the cylinders are placed in position and both discs secured together' the scolloped shoulders 7 of the discs engage the curved shoulders Ql'of the cylinders, the scollops 9 of the tread engage the curved heads 15 of the outer pistons 13 and the projecting heads 18 of the inner pistons 141 are secured by means of bolts 23, between two rings Q2 fixed to the hub.

Coiled springs indicated at 2li inv Figure 1 are provided between the heads 15 of the pistons 13 and the shoulders 21 of the cylinder 10 to support or outwardly thrust the portion of the tread not in contact with the ground. Furthermore a coil spring 9.5 may be wrapped around the cylinder as illustrated in Figure land bear at one end against its shoulders 21 and at the other end against the rings 22.

In operation the outward movement of a piston 13 when not under pressure and assisted by spring 25 if used, causes air to be drawn through valve 17 and delivered between piston 13 and partition 11 and upon pressure of piston 13 when the tread is on the ground said air is passed through valve 12 into the space between partition 11 and piston 111 Where it cushions. The air when under excessive pressure passes through valve 2O to outlet 19 and the spring of valve 2O can be adjusted to suit the pressure de sired. l

According to a modification of the inven-v tion shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 an additional cylinder Q9 closed at the outer end 30 to act as a piston and provided With a valve 31 is located between the main cylinder 10a and the inner piston le having an air inlet 2O and the inner end ot' said cylinder' 29 projects beyond the outer.v cylinder 10 and is formed with lugs or shoulders 32 that en-` scolioped shoulders 33 i'ornied on the sides ot' the discs 1lL and 2 near the hub. firound the latter is a ring- 84 formed With scollops into which tit and are secured the inner loops 8G ot a continuousrt'olded metal strip S the outer loops 37 oit which are screwed to the inner plain peripheral suriace oi' the tread. rihe cushioning devices are placed in the spaces 3S between Jthe folds oi the strip 5i With the lend of each piston 14 seated in a loop 36` and the shoulders 32 of cylinder 29 hearing against shoulders 33.

on the discs; also the end of piston 13:L bears against ,the Atread and the shoulders 21 ot' the cylinder 10a heary against the scolloped shoulders 7 of the discs..v By means of this construction any cushioning device can be readilyremoved or placed inposition by removing one disc.

By means of this modified construction both pistons 13a and 14a lact as air pumps and compress air between the partition l1u and the end 8O of the cylinder-piston 29, and as a result the. cushion devices are double acting.

The tread as in Figure 6 may be` mouldedr ot two qualities ot rubber, the outer portion 45 being comparatively'resilient and the inf ner portion L11 less resilient and in order toA of the main cylinder 2lb the discs are formed withrecesses 50 in which are seated blocks 51 the inner portion acting as shoulders which are kept in contact with theV shoulders the hub and the outer piston bearing against the tread and retaining side discs fixed to the huh and 'formed with shoulders engaging A shoulders on the cylinder.

2. In a resilient wheel cushioning devices each comprising a cylinder transversely divided by a partition and having a piston at eachy end7 the inner piston fixed to the hub and the outer piston bearing against one of a series or scollops termed inthe tread, retaining side discs ifixed to the hub and to each other and torinedwvith seolloped shoul- .ders engaging shoulders on the cylinder and said pistons and cylinder formed lwith valve and air openings.

3. .ln a resilient Wheel cushioning devices each comprising a cylinderl transversely divided by a partition and having apiston at each end, the innerpistonXed to the huh and the outer piston bearing against one of a series of scollops formed in the'tre'ad, re

taining sidedises fixed to the huband to Y each otherand formed with scolloped shoulders engaging shoulders on the cylinder said outer piston termed- With'an air inlet and suction val-ve, the partition with a delivery valve and the inner piston with a relier1 valve and airY outlet.

4. n'a resilient-Wheel. cushioning devices each comprisinga cylinder with shoulders andedivided transversely With a pistonfat each end the inner piston iixed to thefhub and the outer piston riorined with shoulders and bearing against the tread, retlaining'side discs {ixed to the hub and formed with-r2 shoulders engaging the shoulders on the 'cyliinder, and springs fitted between the shoulders on the outer piston and cylinder. Y

Dated this Fifth day of September 1923. i

VERE lERBERT' CASEYi 

